Game piece



April 30, 1940. C. MJQHNSON www@ GAME PIECE Filed June 25. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 3U, '1940.x Q M JQHNSQN 2,9870

` GAME PIECE Filed June 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIN INVENTOR Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to game pieces and has for its primary object to provide a set thereof which may be employed for the playing of games for amusement as well as for educational purposes, particularly in connection with mathematical problems such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and the like.

To this and other ends it is proposed to provide a game piece to include thereon a number and as a separate entity an arithmetical symbol, each game piece being thus virtually divided in half as such a number and as such a symbol. The playing set may include such quantity as to include digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, '7, 8 and 9, each with its counter half` part having an arithmetical symbol. For instance, and in other words, there may ,be five 1 pieces, one of such having a symbol, another with a symbol, another with a X symbol, another with a symbol, and another with an symbol. Likewise each of the other number pieces is identically duplicated in accordance with the above described 1 piece to complete the playing set.

'I'he pieces may take any desired form as to material and construction, such as for instance cards, dominoes or the like, no restriction being intended.

One of the primary objects with respect to the use of the set of game pieces is the building up of mathematical, or other, equations. Thus, by simulating to some small degree the manner of playing of the well known game of dominoes, the alternate playing of pieces by the players the number of one card and the symbol of another may be alternately linearly matched and followed by an z symbol with the appropriate number card, or cards, to complete a correct equation. It will be apparent that by reason of the resulting staggered relationship of the pieces, the completion of one equation leaves unnished other equations which require the proper insertion of numbers and symbols and in this manner the contest continues until such point as may be agreed upon by the players. In the meantime, or as a separate objective the player is put to his wits and knowledge of mathematics in filling out the equations in their various unnished forms.

In the following specification and appended claims I have endeavored to set forth in greater detail the nature of my invention, certain embodiments of which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a. composite view in top plan of one form of entire set of game pieces with the indicia thereon.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatical illustration ofthe application of the game pieces to simulate a game in the' process of being played and at such a stage that some of the equations have been completed whereas some remain uncompleted. 5

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that the set, arbitrarily selected for illustrative purposes includes fifty pieces, ve of each of 0 to 9 pieces; and each of the number pieces having separately a symbol 10 X, j+ and the number forming the lower half of the game piece and the symbol the upper half with a dividing line separating the number and symbol indicia, the top end of the game piece being further indicated by the upper 15 left hand extremity of the game piece in small dimensions by the symbol and number. For instance theA game piece illustrated in the upper left hand portion of Figure 1 has in its lower half a large 0 and its upper half a large symbol 20 and in the upper left hand corner of the game piece itself there appears a small and a small 0 symbol therebelow.

Thus, in the parlance of card games, the particular set illustrated may be said to consist 25 eitherof ve symbol suits with numbers ranging from 0 to 9 inclusive or may be said each to include tenl number suits each with symbols n n, X, H+ and lr=!3 Referring more particularly to Figure 2, which 30 represents an unfinished game, and reading from left to right, the second lineI from the top reads, in part: 2+3 2=10 which is a correct equation. 'I'he 10 involved the playing of a 1 piece and a 0 piece in parallel non-staggered 35 relation, but, preferably, this can only be done by the player playing the piece in completing the equation. Ihe finishing of the above 2+3 2=10 equation need not complete that line, because as illustrated, the 10 may be used 40 as the beginning of a new equation which, as illustrated has been continued: 10-3='7,which is also a correct equation.

Nor is the game, or instruction, limited to this particular second from the top line. As shown in 45 'Figure 2, line 3 shows, in part: 4+6-8=2,

which is a correct equation, the following O+S having merely been added to complete the equations in the lines above or below, and without regard to line 3.

The fourth line shows: 7-5+9=11, which is also a corr'ect equation. It will be noted in this connection that the first "1 of the 11 in this equation is below a 0 of the line above. This 0 piece was thus put to supply the of the 55 line above and7 the symbol indicia. upper half oi the above 1 piece has been merely slipped 'under the lower half of the above piece. As will be seen the lowest line of Figure 2 includes merely numbers but is an-incipient equation that can be completed by mathematical symbols alone or in conjunction with numbers. The top line is open for play by use of numbers between the symbols therein, for instance a number 6, an 8, a 2 and a '1 would complete an equation on the left end (6+8+2=7), the -:f and being previously placed into the top line. The-right side of line 3 is stymied, as 20-1-3 involves a fraction.

A convenient manner of play would be to allot each of two or more players with a certain number of pieces and to credit the nisher of each equation with the total denoted in the equation answer or resultant and likewise penalize the holder, or holders, of pieces, when one player runs out of pieces, to an amount equal to the total of the numbers appearing on their pieces in their hands, the game being completed when one player runs out of pieces and the winner to be thus decided by comparative total scored points to their credit.

It will be apparent that the nature of the game pieces, their construction, material and indicia may be varied as well as the number and arrangement of same to complete the set and the rules of play without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A set of game pieces, each bearing on the face thereof an arithmetical digit and a mathematical symbol, said digit occupying one part of each piece and said symbol the other part with separation indication means therebetween to establish the two as separate entities, whereby the digit and symbol portions may be appropriated linearly matched to spell out mathematical equations.

2. A set of game pieces, each bearing on the face thereof an arithmetical digltand a mathematical symbol in such vertically spaced relation as to establish the two as separate entities on each game piece,4 whereby the digit and symbol portions of one game piece may be appropriately linearly aligned with those of other game pieces to actually spell out mathematicalequatidns by the use of the game pieces alone.

3. A set of game pieces, each bearing on the face thereof an arithmetical digit and a mathematical symbol in such vertically spaced relation as to establish the two as separate entities on each game piece, said set comprising a plurality of suits each designated by a different mathematical symbol and each\ suit including game pieces bearing an arithmetical digit progressively increasing by one in sequence throughout a predetermined series, said suits including one designated by a methematical symbol denoting equals.

4. A set of game -pieceaeafch bearing on the face thereof an arithmetical digit and a mathematical symbol in such vertically spaced relation as to establish the two as separate entities on each game piece, said set comprising a plurality of suits each designated by a different mathematical symbol and each suit including game pieces bearing an arithmetical digit progressively increasing by one in sequence throughout a predetermined series, said suits including one designated by a mathematical symbol denoting equals, whereby said digit and symbol portions of one game piece may be appropriately linearly aligned with those of other game pieces to actually spell out mathematical equations by the use of the game pieces alone.

- CORYDON M. JOHNSON. 

